For a guy who’s 83, Aldrin — a.k.a. the second person to walk on the moon — can sure belt it out, even if all he’s belting out is, for the most part, one word: science. Or, as it sounds in Aldrin’s hands, SCIENCE!!! He also good-naturedly plays catch with Dolby on a variation of the song’s most famous line of dialogue: “Good heavens, Mr. Aldrin. Space is beautiful.” Recorded, appropriately, at the Smithsonian’s “The Future Is Here” conference. (http://bit.ly/ZsIHbn)

9. MATTHEW GOOD

“Had It Coming”

“I’m like that one about a priest who walks in bar, orders a drink/And then finds God all in savage company.” Good says his new single is inspired by another punchy two-verse rocker, the Pixies’ “I’ve Been Tired” (http://bit.ly/7L2ZLO), though the talk-sing style also recalls Talking Heads’ “Once in a Lifetime” (http://bit.ly/cLBVZa). Either way, this is a remarkably non-judgmental blend of introspection and social commentary that jumps in, makes its point, and knows exactly when to leave. (From Arrows of Desire, out Sept. 24, http://bit.ly/16jHOaD)

8. ICONA POP

“Girlfriend”

Take a liberal dose of Katy Perry’s “Teenage Dream” (http://bit.ly/d6hszQ), add a sanitized quote from the chorus of Tupac’s x-rated “Me and My Girlfriend” (http://bit.ly/11miTC), toss in a fistful of all-purpose “na, na, na’s” and you’ve got yourself a transparent, but no less potent, contender for the summer song of 2013. As for the sanitized bit, even more so than the other notable track to make use of the same source material, Jay-Z/Beyonce’s “’03 Bonnie and Clyde” (http://bit.ly/2LAzBY), “Girlfriend” has no compunction about rewriting the original sentiment, changing “to the bloody end” to “to the happy end.” (http://bit.ly/10OpB0y)

7. NICHOLAS KRGOVICH

“Constant Craving”

Every Canadian probably knows enough of the words to do a fake singalong to the chorus of this k.d. lang classic (http://bit.ly/3lKuxH), but for those of us who find lang’s vocals mesmerizing, this slowed-down, woozy cover may be the first time we’ve been fully conscious of the verses: “Maybe a great magnet pulls/All souls towards truth”? We had no idea. Krgovich, who’ll be known to some for his stint with Vancouver indie band P:ano, brings a touch of James Blake (http://bit.ly/eAcUpu) to the proceedings, but this is, overall, a far more organic performance. (From Real Life, http://bit.ly/11EjltH)

6. DAVID LYNCH AND LYKKE LI

“I’m Waiting Here”

She may not approach Julee Cruise’s ethereal vocals on the theme to Lynch’s Twin Peaks (http://bit.ly/dkfS36), but Sweden’s Li (http://bit.ly/gxHZN2) brings something else to the party: corporeality. While Cruise’s vocals reach for, and attain, a certain disembodied quality, Li’s continually remind you that there’s flesh and blood behind the voice. That might partly account for Lynch’s description of his imminent second album as “modern blues.” (From The Big Dream, out July 16, http://bit.ly/ZorKyM)

5. SEAN NICHOLAS SAVAGE

“Other Life”

In case there was any doubt, the video that accompanies the title track to Savage’s first album in two years (after having released five in 18 months) makes explicit his state of mind: He’s literally blue. Part of an emotionally naked post-break-up album, Savage — who’s based in Montreal but has been recording in Berlin — is a sufficiently accomplished singer to make a sentiment like “I’ll meet someone who don’t look a thing like the one I left behind…” seem both blithe and despairing. (From Other Life, http://bit.ly/ZIt560)

4. DAFT PUNK VS. EVERYTHING BUT THE GIRL

“Giorgio is Missing”

On which the former’s 2013 homage, “Giorgio by Moroder” (http://bit.ly/104jUry), is paired with the latter’s 1994 hit “Missing” (http://bit.ly/SV7t2o ) to create a considerably busier and aggressive track for the gentle ache of Tracey Thorn’s vocals. The revamped musical context means she no longer sounds only lonely, she seems kind of agitated, too. (http://bit.ly/15FDHlr)

3. BRAIDS

“In Kind”

They’re not going to make it easy on us. The Calgary band behind what was arguably the most impressive debut album of 2011, Native Speaker (http://bit.ly/eNN6NI), has returned with a remarkably diffuse 12” single to pave the way for album No. 2 late this summer. Lyrically abstruse yet deeply melodic, it has no interest in your verse-chorus strictures, choosing instead to follow its own winding path on its way to a Bjork-like climax. (From Flourish // Perish, out Aug. 20, http://bit.ly/15g6hZJ)

2. BECK

“Defriended”

He’s reportedly working on not one but two albums (http://rol.st/15ydHaZ), the first of which will be his first proper release in five years, but in typically contrarian fashion, this new track doesn’t appear destined for either one. Oh, and there are words, but good luck making out more than four or five of them at a time. As for the music, it’s poppy but irregular, making it virtually impossible to dance to. The closest comparison is probably Panda Bear (http://bit.ly/2dN78c), the multi-instrumental wiz from another act of hummable experimenters, Animal Collective. (http://bit.ly/18LQWCr)

You might remember these pop-culture vultures from their memorably vomitous 2010 Ke$ha parody, “Glitter Puke” (http://bit.ly/cbF4if), (“Wake up in the morning looking greener than Shrek…”). Now, presumably inspired by J.J. Abrams’ reboot sequel, they’ve turned their attention to a more earthy aspect of the Star Trek universe. In a send-up of the original series’ episode about the Vulcan mating/bloodlust ritual Pon farr (http://bit.ly/gcumFv), Spock describes a night of seduction by rapping a ballad in an amusingly catatonic voice. We can’t believe we had occasion to type those words. (http://youtu.be/xjkVSneTjaA)

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